SS Renato Sanches Review

Black Friday has come and gone in a continual flurry of lightning rounds, flash SBCs, promo cards, flashbacks and more… Truth be told, it was a whirlwind that offered numerous opportunities for squad growth and I couldn’t have been happier overall.  The Signature Signings promo piggybacked on the Black Friday madness and offered some new upgrades to sink our teeth into for this weekend’s grind.  While the promo revolved around the idea of marquee signings for clubs… it felt more like a thinly veiled attempt at releasing some of the absolute fan favorites of FUT.  The return of the rat, Wissam Ben Yedder headlining a long list of cards that have past controllers blood on their hands.  For me, it has always been Renato Sanches… the card was made for FUT and has always been a personal favorite across the years.  The all-action presence of the Portuguese midfielder makes him the perfect fit for the way I like to play and it certainly didn’t hurt matters that after I bought, the Gelson Martins SBC sent him skyrocketing in price… we definitely take those wins.  On the pitch, it was straight into the more offensive box-to-box position of my 4-2-2-2 formation… which led to the logical selection of a HUNTER chemistry style over the more popular SHADOW choice.  Renato was working in the engine room all weekend long in the following squad: 

Starting Formation:

Overall

Rating: 9/10
Pace Rating: 10/10
Dribbling Rating: 9.5/10
Shooting Rating: 9/10
Passing Rating: 8.5/10
Physical Rating: 8/10
Defending Rating: 9/1

If these ratings were based on fun factor alone then this card is shooting up to a 10/10 in a hurry.  There is not much better than watching Renato picking up the ball in the middle of the pitch and driving at opponents' backlines at blistering pace. While it was 6 goals in 15 matches on the statline… the quality of a few of those goals was of top quality.  I particularly loved the left-footed nonchalant volley but all of them seemed to have their own bit of magic to admire.

Main Statistic - Pace

Pace Rating: 10/10
Height: 176cm | 5’9

It seems simple enough that a card with 99 ACCELERATION & 96 SPRINT SPEED is going to be a pace merchant on the pitch.  However, one of the key areas that Renato excels in over other pacey midfielders I have tried is the fact that he feels both quick and fast.  Again, I go back to an observation I have long made about the size of cards and the effect that it has on certain abilities.  For Renato, it is a perfect middle zone of providing that injection of pace in the midfield… yet maintaining a stature capable of utilizing his 87 STRENGTH on the ball.  While it was difficult for my opponents to match Renato for pace (unless of course, they were using, well, Renato himself) it was just as difficult to dispossess the Lille man once they caught him.

Main Attribute - Dribbling

Dribbling Rating: 9.5/10
Skills: ★★★★
Traits: Flair

It is one thing to have a midfielder that can get around the pitch… getting into tackles, breaking up attacks, creating chances and generally just being a presence in the center of the pitch.  It is another thing to watch an attacker blazing down the wing, coming to a dead stop, weaving through traffic, leaving defenders for dead, and all with the level of control that makes left-stick dribbling feel like prime Messi dancing through defences.  And it is yet another thing to watch a player who can do all of the above and still throw in a bone crushing tackle when the moment calls for it.  All of these attributes and intricacies come packed into this card and truthfully I am going to struggle moving forward without him.  The price has come to a point that was too good for me and I had to transfer him out… but one game of Div Rivals without Renato has already left me wanting more from what I have in replacement.  If you didn’t catch it in my summary… the 90 AGILITY, 94 BALANCE, 88 DRIBBLING, 88 BALL CONTROL is all there and all creating a diamond of a midfielder.

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad

Value/Coins Rating: 5/5
Good vs Bad Rating: 4.5/5

Even at 900k, I would say this lad is value for coins and there is no debating it.  The 733k price point seems like a bargain and if not for my constant squad juggling for reviews this card would 100% be a mainstay in my squad moving forward.

With all of that said there are two disclaimers that I need to throw out there before I call an end to this review.  1) There are times when passing with this card will inevitably let you down and for some reason, it always seemed to come at the worst moments this weekend.  90th minute chances to equalize, playing out of the back, past pressure, up one in the dying minutes of the match, breakaway chances that require the right weight of pass… it just felt like this card was a passing mistake waiting to happen.  2) The 91 STAMINA on this card feels like a lie… or at least my experience with Renato as a box-to-box midfielder led me to believe it is.  With the High-High work rates, you get this amazing performance from Renato until about the 80th minute… At which point Renato would be sitting on about 40 remaining stamina and performances dropped significantly.  While the first 80 minutes are of superb quality, it was difficult when my substitutes were nowhere near the level of the player they replaced. 

Closing Words

While the Signature Signing promo feels more like a “here are your fan favorite cards, spend all of your coins and buy points” event, I will say that I couldn’t have been happier to see Renato’s smiling face in the menus and later in my squad. This one is a no brainer in the end, regardless of the two disclaimers, this card is still just as fun and dominating as always.  If you can find a way to get Renato into your team without much disruption it is 100% a go from me.  Signing Renato started in a place of nostalgia for me, moved to an improvement in the function of my squad, and ultimately ended in a place that I might just call fun.  I hope if you try him you can experience the same.  Hoping you are well.  Cheers for reading.  

Game Stats:
 

Game Highlights: